July 11, 2009 (Sat) – September 6, 2009 (Sun)
Closed: July 27 (Mon)


Location：Aomori Museum of Art Permanent Collection Gallery
Admission：
General 800 Yen (600 Yen)
University and High School Students 500 Yen (400 Yen)
Junior High and Elementary School Students 200 Yen (100 Yen)

*Amounts given in parentheses are group admission rates. Admission includes the permanent exhibit gallery.
*Tickets for this exhibit may not be purchased in advance.

 画像：dazai_flyer
Flyer (PDF/1.5MB)


The Aomori Museum of Art is holding the “100 Year Anniversary of the Birth of DAZAI Osamu: DAZAI Osamu and Art-His Homeland and Self-Portraits” exhibit to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the birth of DAZAI Osamu.


DAZAI Osamu (1909 - 1948) was a famous novelist from Aomori prefecture, as well as a famous novelist of Japan in the Showa period (1926 - 1989). Even sixty years after his passing, his literary works contain a modernity which does not age, which still captures the hearts of readers today, as well as continues to find new readers in younger generations.
Among his works which continue to be read to this day, is his magnum opus, “Ningen Shikkaku” (No Longer Human) (1948), in which the main character is a manga artist, and self-portraits and photographs are a major motif in the story. The author, DAZAI himself had a deep interest in the fine arts since he was a student, designing the covers for his own literary magazines by himself, as well as repeatedly making sketches in his notebooks and textbooks of faces, starting with his own self-portraits. In his later years in the art studio of a painter and friend of DAZAI, he produced a portrait thought to be his self-portrait, as well as several paintings produced by DAZAI himself which still exist to this day.

This exhibit focuses on the relationship between DAZAI and art, displaying works of art created by DAZAI, and his literary magazines whose covers were designed by DAZAI himself, to examine the life and literature of DAZAI Osamu from the perspective of his connection with art.

This exhibit introduces the background from which DAZAI’s literature was born in the following multiple dimensions:

  • Display of the artistic works of DAZAI’s Aomori contemporaries and friends, such as MUNAKATA Shiko, ABE Gosei and KODATE Zenshiro.
  • Introduction of the artistic environment and cultural network of pre-war Aomori, which could be called the “home” which fostered the art of DAZAI.
  • Display of precious literary materials, handwritten drafts, letters, first-edition books, and the magazines in which DAZAI was first published.
  • Display of pictures and other materials of the Tsugaru region of Aomori from the time-period in which DAZAI lived.


    • Outline of the Exhibit

    Chapter 1 DAZAI Osamu’s Aomori – and its artistic environment
    Chapter 2 DAZAI Osamu the painter – interest in self-portraits
    Chapter 3 DAZAI Osamu’s life and literary work
    Chapter 4 “The Later Years” – The Aomori Network in Tokyo (KODATE Zenshiro, NEICHI Ryozo, KIKUTANI Sakae)
    Chapter 5 DAZAI Osamu & ABE Gosei
    Chapter 6 DAZAI Osamu & photography
    Chapter 7 Family Portraits – His family seen by DAZAI, DAZAI as seen by his family
    Chapter 8 DAZAI Osamu & MUNAKATA Shiko (In the MUNKATA Shiko gallery)

    画像：DAZAI Osamu, “Self-Portrait”
    DAZAI Osamu, “Self-Portrait”
    oil painting, circa 1947
    		 画像：DAZAI Osamu, “Landscape”
    DAZAI Osamu, “Landscape”
    oil painting, circa 1940
    		 画像：ABE Gosei, Rough sketch of a DAZAI Osamu literary monument
    ABE Gosei, Rough sketch of a DAZAI Osamu literary monument, circa 1965

    画像：KODATE Zenshiro, “Homework”
    KODATE Zenshiro, “Homework”
    oil painting on canvas, 1945-1946
    		 画像：NEICHI Ryozo, Cover artwork for “Memory”, a publication made personally by DAZAI
    NEICHI Ryozo, Cover artwork for “Memory”, a publication made personally by DAZAI, 1933

    Exhibit Outline

    1 Title 100 Year Anniversary of the Birth of DAZAI Osamu:
    DAZAI Osamu and Art-His Homeland and Self-Portraits
    2 Dates July 11 (Sat) 2009 – September 6 (Sun) 2009
    (The museum will be closed on July 27 (Mon))
    3 Hours 9:00-18:00 (Admission until 17:30)
    4 Location Aomori Museum of Art Permanent Exhibit Gallery
    5 Organizers Aomori Museum of Art
    6 Co-sponsor Museum of Modern Aomori Literature
    7 Grant Japan Arts Fund
    8 Supports The To-o Nippo Press Co., Ltd., Mutsu　Shimpo Co., Ltd., Daily Tohoku Shimbun Inc., The Kahoku Shimpo Co., Ltd., The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd. Aomori Branch, The Yomiuri Shimbun Co., Ltd. Aomori Branch, The Asahi Shimbun Company Aomori Branch, Nikkei Inc. Aomori Branch, Kyodo News Aomori Branch, Jiji Press Ltd. Aomori Branch, Japan Broadcasting Corporation Aomori Branch, RAB Aomori Broadcasting Corporation, Aomori Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd., Asahi Broadcasting Aomori Co., Ltd., Aomori Cable Television Co., Ltd., Hachinohe Cable Television Co., Aomori FM Broadcasting Co., Ltd., Community Radio BeFM, Applewave Co., Ltd., FM AZUR
    9 Admission General 800 Yen (600 Yen)
    University and High School Students 500 Yen (400 Yen)
    Junior High and Elementary School Students 200 Yen (100 Yen)

    *Amounts given in parentheses are group admission rates. Admission includes the permanent exhibit gallery.
    *Tickets for this exhibit may not be purchased in advance.

    Aomori Museum of Art

    Address 185 Chikano, Yasuta, Aomori,
    Aomori, 038-0021, Japan
    TEL 017-783-3000
    E-mail bijutsukan@pref.aomori.lg.jp
    Access (JR) 20 minutes by car from JR Aomori Station
    (Aomori Municipal bus.) 20 min. by bus bound for "MENKYO-CENTER" from JR Aomori Station.The Bus Stop "Kenritsu-bijutsukan-mae"
    (Airport) 20 minutes by car from the Aomori Airport.
    (Highway) 5 minutes by car from the Tohoku Expressway Aomori Interchange

    Access Map